Participation in athletic activities is increasing at all age levels. All participants may be potentially exposed to physical harm as a result such participation. Physical harm is more likely to occur in athletic events were collisions between participants frequently occurs such as football, field hockey, lacrosse, ice hockey, soccer and the like. In connection with sports such as football, hockey and lacrosse where deliberate collisions between participants are common, the potential for physical harm and/or injury is greatly enhanced. Facial trauma experienced by athletes has been demonstrably reduced by the use of a mouth guard during participation in athletic events. These mouth guards, or mouth protectors, provide protection against injuries to the teeth, lips, cheeks, and gums, and may also reduce the incidence of head and neck injuries, concussions, and jaw fractures.
The use of mouth guards is well known. In fact the American Society for Testing and Materials has classified mouth guards into three types: stock mouth guards, mouth-formed mouth guards, and custom-fabricated mouth guards. Some of these mouth guards are fitted with a tether or strap to connect them to a fastening point, such as a helmet or the like, to prevent loss, swallowing or choking on the mouth guard by the user.
Stock mouth guards typically can be purchased at sporting goods stores, department stores and/or pharmacies. These mouth guards may be made of rubber, polyvinyl chloride, or polyvinyl acetate copolymer and are typically available in small, medium, and large sizes. These stock mouth guards are not in any way molded or “fit” to the persons wearing them and, as a result, can be loose and uncomfortable for the user. Often the mouth must be closed in order to hold them in place, and, not surprisingly, many athletes find them bulky and uncomfortable. In addition, these mouth guards can interfere with speech and breathing, which is a further strong disincentive for athletes to wear these mouth guards. The one benefit to these mouth guards is that they are inexpensive.
Mouth-formed mouth guards are fitted by the user. They are molded to fit the individual wearer either by the use of a moldable inner liner typically of plasticized acrylic gel or silicone rubber, or the use of a moldable thermoplastic that softens when immersed in boiling water and sets when cooled. The thermoplastic mouth guard is also known as the “boil-and-bite” mouth guard. However, repeated biting during participation in athletic events or gnawing due to nervousness before or during an athletic event can cause the material to spread resulting in a loose fit. In addition, aging and/or continual exposure to oral fluids may cause the plasticizers to leach out causing the liner to become hard.
Custom-made mouth guards are considered to be the best of the conventional mouth guards as far as fit, shape retention and comfort are concerned, but they are also the most expensive. This type of mouth guard tends to not have the bulk of the other two types and may stay in position better. Custom mouth guards are typically composed of a thermoplastic polymer, of which the most popular type is ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, although acrylic resin, polyurethane, and various rubber materials are also used. Custom-made mouth guards are fabricated by molding over a cast of a person's dentition, and most often this process is done by a dentist or in a dental laboratory. There are usually four steps required in the making of a custom-fit mouth guard: 1) making an impression of the maxillary arch; 2) pouring a cast; 3) forming the thermoplastic material on the cast; and 4) finishing the protector.
The mouth guards described above are typically U-shaped to match the general shape of the upper dental arch and have upward inner lingual and outer labial walls extending there from. Bi-maxillary mouth guards are also available which have protection for both dental arches and hold the mouth in a pre-determined position to allow for maximum breathing capability.
Since 1950 the American Dental Association (ADA) has been active in promoting the use of mouth protectors. In addition to preventing injuries to the teeth, gums, and facial area, a properly fitted mouth guard is believed to be responsible for reducing the number of concussions and neck injuries suffered by athletes. One study by the ADA using a cadaver showed that a mouth protector reduced the amplitude of the inter-cranial pressure wave and decreased the amount of bone deformation by as much as 50%.
Recent improvements in mouth guard performance relate to improved energy absorption. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,832, to Kittelsen et al., is directed to a thermoplastic mouth guard with an integral shock absorbing framework. The composite mouth guard of Kittelsen et al. comprises a U-shaped mouth guard portion made of a softenable thermoplastic and a shock absorbing and attenuating low compression elastomer framework embedded in the U-shaped mouth guard portion. The shock-absorbing insert portion of the mouth guard attenuates and dissipates shock forces exerted on the mouth guard during athletic activity.
However, even with the improvements described by Kittelsen et al., the mouth guard described is still of the “boil-and-bite” type and requires that the user have access to facilities which permit boiling of the mouth guard in order to form it to the user's mouth.
As will become apparent from the following description, the present invention is a novel, cold formable mouth guard that allows the user to fit the mouth piece by depressing cilia that extend upwardly in the canal where the teeth are to be placed. This arrangement allows for a snug fit every time with out the hassles of boiling and compression fitting the boiled mouthpiece. In other words, the cilia allow the mouth guard to conform to the shape of a mouth and provide excellent energy absorption and dissipation when subjected to force such as that experienced during athletic activity, without the requirement for complicated forming techniques, such as molding an inner liner or requiring a “boil-and-bite” procedure.
In addition to the problems with the prior art described above, another problem that often arises is the stale taste of a mouth piece that is used over and over again. Although the mouth guards are usually washed between games no degree of washing fully gets rid of the bacteria that grow on these mouth pieces. The growth of bacteria can make the mouth guard taste stale and/or unpleasant. This unpleasant taste can be distracting to a player while on the field. Therefore, what is needed is a mouth guard that can be taken out of the package and used immediately without using hot water to form the mouth guard and a mouth guard that provides flavor when placed into the user's mouth taking away the often stale taste left on the mouth guard between games.
The present invention addresses the shortcomings of the mouth guards available on the market today as well as providing additional benefits.